Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Generation, Analysis, And Evaluation Of Patient-Specific, Osteoligamentous, Spine Meshes, Austin R. Tapp

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, is traditionally corrected with bracing treatments or by a highly invasive posterior spinal fusion (PSF) operation. These correction strategies are constrained by current imaging modalities, which fail to elucidate the soft tissue anatomy that is known to play a critical role in spinal stiffness and overall structure. Osteoligamentous segmentations of the spinal column offer a foundation for downstream finite element (FE) studies seeking to optimize bracing treatments or determine ideal surgical approaches.

This thesis presents methods for automatically and semi-automatically segmenting vertebrae and surrounding soft tissues of the spinal column using X-ray computed …

Subtalar Joint Definition In Biomechanical Models, Julia Noginova

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The effect of including a subtalar joint in a dynamic musculoskeletal model has not been fully explored or validated. The subtalar joint is often modeled as a one DOF hinge with the tri-planar axis defined as a combination of inclination and deviation angles measured from the ground and midline of the foot, respectively. The overall purposes of this dissertation were to explore how the inclusion of the subtalar joint and the definition of origin location and axis orientation affect the kinematics, joint kinetics, and muscle activations of the knee, ankle, and subtalar joint during dynamic tasks of walking and running …

The Investigations Of Nps Modulated Immunity And Immunometabolism, Brittney Leigh Ruedlinger

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Cancers remain in the top noncommunicable diseases responsible for premature mortality. The heterogeneity among cancers and within tumors makes treating them ever more challenging. Our misfortune for developing cures is mocked by cancer, with the lowest probability of success (PoS) through clinical trials and FDA approval. At the basic level, there are generally two broad gaps impeding cancer eradication: the unidentified shared mechanism(s) exploited by all cancers and the therapeutic approach to intervene. Nanosecond pulse stimulation (NPS) offers a unique approach since its broad impacts intersect those often hijacked by oncogenesis. Metabolic pathways, known for dysfunctions among cancers, share a …

Evaluation Of Horizontal Gene Transfer Between Genetically Engineered Cyanobacteria And Gram-Negative Bacteria, Andriana Chrysovalanti Zourou

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

As the world population is increasing and societies become more technology driven, there is an imperative to develop ‘green energy’ sources to protect our planet. Cyanobacteria that have been genetically engineered to produce organic compounds that may be burnt as fuels show great potential, as they are an environmentally friendly and self-renewable, net carbon-neutral option. However, there are potential risks in the development and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). We need to understand in advance the risks that GMOs may pose to our environment and to animal and human health. This will enable experimental procedures, containment strategies and policies …

Integrative Computational Analysis Of Muscle Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals: Effects Of Oxygen Delivery And Blood Volume, Bhabuk Koirala

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive technology to evaluate skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism in healthy and disease states. This technology allows us to measure the dynamic response of oxygenated (Δ����������₂) and deoxygenated (Δ����������) heme group concentrations during muscle contraction. These O₂ kinetics are valuable for inferring the interplay between muscle oxygen delivery and utilization. However, the semi-quantitative nature of the NIRS signal limits its clinical application. Some of the challenges in interpreting the NIRS signal are related to the difficulties in quantifying the: 1) contribution of blood volume changes to the Δ����������₂ and Δ����������; 2) contribution …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Ion Transport Through Electrically Stressed Biological Membranes, Federica Castellani

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The cell membrane is a selectively permeable barrier that controls the transport of ions, molecules, and other materials into and out of a cell. The manipulation of the cell membrane permeability is the basis for several biotechnological and biomedical applications, including electroporation. Electroporation (or electropermeabilization) occurs when the application of an external electric pulse causes water intrusion into the membrane interior and the formation of conductive transmembrane electropores. These electropores allow drugs, genetic material, and other normally impermeant molecules to enter a cell. Despite years of study, the complex mechanisms underlying this process are still not well understood. Molecular dynamics …

Electrohydrodynamic Simulations Of Capsule Deformation Using A Dual Time-Stepping Lattice Boltzmann Scheme, Charles Leland Armstrong

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Capsules are fluid-filled, elastic membranes that serve as a useful model for synthetic and biological membranes. One prominent application of capsules is their use in modeling the response of red blood cells to external forces. These models can be used to study the cell’s material properties and can also assist in the development of diagnostic equipment. In this work we develop a three dimensional model for numerical simulations of red blood cells under the combined influence of hydrodynamic and electrical forces. The red blood cell is modeled as a biconcave-shaped capsule suspended in an ambient fluid domain. Cell deformation occurs …

The Impact Of Nanopulse Treatment On The Tumor Microenvironment In Breast Cancer: Overturning The Treg Immunosuppressive Dominance, Anthony Nanajian

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Nanopulse treatment (NPT) is a high-power electric engineering modality that has been shown to be an effective local tumor treatment approach in multiple cancer models. Our previous studies on the orthotopic 4T1-luc breast cancer model demonstrated that NPT ablated local tumors. The treatment consequently conferred protection against a second live tumor challenge and minimized spontaneous metastasis. This study aims to understand how NPT mounts a potent immune response in a predominantly immunosuppressive tumor.

NPT changed the local and systemic dynamics of immunosuppressive cells by significantly reducing the numbers of regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and tumor-associated macrophages …

Drive Leg And Stride Leg Ground Reaction Forces Relationship To Medial Elbow Stress And Velocity In Collegiate Baseball Pitchers, Brett Smith

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study examines several different kinetic variables in relation to pitch velocity and elbow varus torque in collegiate baseball pitchers using force plates, an inertial measurement unit, and a radar unit. The purpose of this study is to investigate the kinetic variables being measured and their relationship to pitch velocity and loads being placed on the medial elbow. Twelve collegiate baseball pitchers participated in this study, which was approved by the IRB. Impulse of the drive leg in the anterior-posterior direction, stride leg peak force in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction, elbow varus torque, and pitch velocity were all measured. Two …

Moderate Heat-Assisted Gene Electrotransfer For Intradermal Dna Vaccination And Protein Replacement Therapy In The Skin, Chelsea Marie Edelblute

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Gene electrotransfer (GET) holds great promise for the delivery of therapeutic agents. The skin serves as an attractive target for GET due to its availability and unique cellular composition. Protein replacement therapy and DNA vaccination are potential applications for intradermal GET. The combination of moderate tissue preheating and GET has been shown to achieve elevated gene expression levels while reducing the necessary applied voltage. In the current work, we utilized a 16-pin multi-electrode array (MEA) and incorporated nine optical fibers, connected to an infrared laser, to pre-heat the tissue to 43°C before application of GET. In a guinea pig model, …

Predictions Of Knee Joint Contact Forces Using Only Kinematic Inputs With A Recurrent Neural Network, Kaileigh Elisabeth Estler

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Knee joint contact (bone on bone) forces are commonly estimated using surrogate measures such as external knee adduction moments (with limited success) or musculoskeletal modeling (more successful). Despite its capabilities, modeling is not optimal for clinicians or persons with limited experience and knowledge. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design a novel prediction method for knee joint contact forces that is equal or more accurate than modeling, yet simplistic in terms of required inputs. METHODS: This study included all six subjects’ (71.3±6.5kg, 1.7±0.1m) data from the opensource “Grand Challenge” datasets (simtk.org) and two subjects from the "CAMS" …